Book Review: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

This was such an incredible concept, and executed with an absolutely brilliant eye for detail and connection. I cannot even imagine how difficult it must have been to write and plot this interwoven tale of Aiden Bishop and his quest to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. There are secrets and lies everywhere and no one is who they seem – including Bishop himself, who has no idea who he even is for much of the first third of the book, as he struggles to wake up each day in a different body with no idea why, where he is, or what he’s supposed to be doing – other than staying alive. It’s difficult to call those around him a supporting cast, since so many are iterations that Bell wakes up as, but regardless of how they’re described, each and every person in this story is a tale unto him(or her-)self.

The population at Blackheath is stunning in its complexity – almost as stunning as the mysterious setting itself. Blackheath’s secrets are revealed with devastating slowness – in an absolutely spot-on display of the prowess of suspense-building… The Big Reveal took me utterly by surprise – as did many of the smaller mini-reveals along the way. That doesn’t happen often. And while it was nowhere near where I thought things were going, and could easily have felt over-the-top or eye-rollingly odd, somehow it worked for me and felt satisfyingly plausible.

I couldn’t put this one down. Turton has crafted a brilliant tale and demonstrated a master’s eye – and ear – for storytelling. I do hope to see a lot more from him in future!

My review copy was provided by NetGalley. An earlier iteration of the book (The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) is currently available on Amazon; the new copy, reviewed here, will be available via Amazon in the U.S. on September 18, 2018. I’ve seen a publication date listed as early as September 4 though – so try a local store if you can’t wait (and believe me, you can’t)…

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